Kona Coffee is the name of an Arabica-type species of coffee that is cultivated on the Big Island of Hawaii. Hawaii is the only state in the U.S. to grow and produce any kind of coffee beans.
Due to the fact that it is grown in the U.S., it is one of the most expensive coffees in the world. The prices are driven up by the high cost of labor as well as the short and limited supply.
The Kona Coffee Belt
Located in the Kona district of Big Island, Hawaii, Kona is grown in the Kona Coffee Belt. The Belt is about 2 miles wide and 30 miles long, running along the west-cost of the island as well as the western slopes of the Mauna Loa and Hualalai volcanoes.
The region contains hundreds of small, mostly family-owned coffee farms.
The Kona district provides practically ideal conditions for coffee growing. The tropical climate along with the high elevation and very mineral-rich volcanic soil provide the variables required for very high-grade, quality coffee beans.
With the elevation ranging from 500′ to 3200′ above sea level, the coffee cherries take longer to develop and ripen. This in turn makes for a more dense and deliciously flavorful coffee bean.
The area also receives an average of 60+ inches of rainfall annually, along with warm temperatures ranging from 60-85 degrees Fahrenheit.
All these are favorable and desired variables that come together to cultivate the very popular and in-demand coffee type!
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Growing and processing Kona
Kona coffee blooms in what is considered late winter/early spring- February and March. Green berries will usually appear in April, with the coffee cherries ready to be picked late in the month.
Each individual coffee tree can be harvested several times between August and the beginning of the next year, January.
After being harvested, the cherries are de-pulped and the beans are separated and placed in a fermentation tank overnight. On the following day, the beans are rinsed off and spread to dry for about 2 weeks.
Kona Bean Classifications
There are various Kona coffee bean classifications, each according to the seeds.
Type I beans- these will have two coffee beans per cherry. They will be flat on one side, oval on the other.
Type II beans- these will have one round coffee bean per cherry, known as a peaberry.
These two types of Kona beans are further divided by size, moisture content, and the purity of the bean.
Type I will be further classified as “Kona Extra Fancy”, “Kona Fancy”, Kona Number 1″, “Kona Select”, and “Kona Prime”.
Type II will be further classified as “Peaberry Number 1” and “Peaberry Prime”.
There is also a lower grade of Kona coffee, termed “Number 3”. Due to its inferior quality, it cannot be legally labeled as “Kona”, so it is simply termed “Hawaiin” coffee.
Kona Blends
Because of the higher pricing of Kona coffee, many retailers will sell a “Kona Blend”. One thing to point out is that these blends are not combinations of different Kona coffees.
They are indeed a cheap alternative, as they are a combination of some Kona beans along with various Colombian, Brazilian, and other foreign coffees. These usually contain 10% Kona coffee and 90% of various fillers.
Kona Coffee
Kona coffee is considered a luxury, not an every-day type coffee bean. Our recommendation?
Give Kona Coffee a try! Let us know in the comments below if it lives up to the hype! [Full disclosure: As an affiliate, I earn a commission if you purchase through this link.]
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